Hinge allignment

[dom]

Assuming you mean cabinet doors, I do the same.

[cnc paul]

Senior,

My preference is central to the top and bottom hinge.... if it is a tall door most of the leverage is on the top hinge + it holds the center of the door inlign.

Then I have seen really heavy doors with two top hinges...but that is not really cabinet making.


CNC Paul

[jfc]

Depends what hinge i'm using . If its a butt its going to look a bit silly lower on the door . Come to think of it i always go half way unless its a concealed hinge and the middle rail is just off center .

[dom]

senior said:

Already we have different views, I just like things to line up on things.

Like a tidy workshop ;D

[mailee]

Yep, I too place it in the centre if it is a butt hinge. Just looks more uniform there.

[nickw]

I align with the rail, but then that's usually in the middle.

[mooretoolsplease]

rails for cabinet/bedroom doors, centred for internal/external

[dantovey]

Ah Senior,

I can see that there's no getting one past you! My (not so) deliberate mistake with the wardrobe doors was pretty obvious eh?


I too would always line up the hinges with the rail. However, in this case I made the doors with the rail in the centre, sized them and hung them, only to then realise that the design specifically called for the upper panels to be larger than the lower ones.

So I re-made the doors. Being an honoury Yorkshireman however, and therefore as tight as a gnat's chuff, I salvaged the stiles by cutting through the rails and remachining the profile before making new rails and panels.

I had though, already morticed for the hinges in both the door stiles and the face frames.

So that's why the hinges are in the middle.

Well spotted Senior (you b*****d!) ;D ;D

Dan

[engineerone]

i also think a lot depends on the type of doors you make.

frame and panel i would suggest don't look quite right if the top and bottom panel are the same size. in the same way that when you hinge a standard room or front door, you put the lower hinge higher than the top one is down, because of foreshortening.

my last set of mdf frame and panels were quite narrow, but i put in 3 hinges and aligned the centre one with the middle stile, although it was not centred in the door.

so for once senior i think you are right, but also i think it depends on the type of hinge. if like dan you use ones which show externally, then there is a case i think for using the golden measurement style to place the mid one. ie the centre stile is 1.618 of the whole length of the door. and that is where the hinge should be.

some how it also depends on how tall you are, because obviously your line of site changes depending on where you are.



paul

[jfc]

The rule of thumb on a normal door is 6" from the top and 9" from the bottom , the middle hinge goes in the middle of those . For smaller doors you can reduce those sizes but the reasoning is to not chop the hinge into the mortice and tenon . Why anyone would want to mess around with the rule of thumb is beyond me but hey ho

[jfc]

The rule of thumb is still the same and if you try and change it it will look wrong .
Are you talking just on concealed hinges or butt hinges aswell ?

looking at dant's pic the top hinge needs to go down an inch and the botton one needs to go up loads and the bottom rail needs to be bigger , the middle one is fine .
Sorry to pull your pic apart Dan

[tom]

What about cabinet doors with a scribe or moulding? line it up with the begining of the mould or the total width of the rail?

[jfc]

On a taller door the middle rail will be lower than central so again you put the hinge in the centre to avoid the mortice and tenon .

[jfc]

Because for hundreds of years a door was made with mortice and tenons so the hinges where placed where they are to avoid them . So for hundreds of years hinges have been placed in certain places , if you mess with that it will look wrong no mater how arty farty you want to be about it .

[jfc]

I'm just teaching you the basic rules , up to you if you want to listen

[jfc]

I know , there there . Group hug ? ;D